


Great Purple Surf

by Hobble_Dragon_Writing



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Beach Holidays, Day At The Beach, F/F, Minor Gaigel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2016-08-01
Packaged: 2018-07-23 21:47:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7481214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hobble_Dragon_Writing/pseuds/Hobble_Dragon_Writing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Heading to the beach to start a, hopefully, relaxing day. Skags can stay home.</p>
          </blockquote>





	1. Meeting at the Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heading to the beach to start a, hopefully, relaxing day. Skags can stay home.

“Anything could be in that water, you know?” it was the fourth time in an hour the smaller blue-haired woman had said this.  
  
“With you here, not worried,” the repeated sentence was accompanied with a smile. Janey was suspecting something was up. Athena was never this vocally nervous about anything. Even when Janey had proposed she had zipped lip. “Help me,” Janey was holding the tail end of a homemade surfboard, the head propped along the rim of the back compartment of the vehicle. Wordlessly, Athena reached further into the storage and started pulling things forward and stacking them on the board. With everything stacked, Janey inched the board back, “I’ll hold the front as we walk since...”

“I got this,” Athena’s voice was nonchalant in its tone. Not waiting for Janey, Athena gently waved Janey’s hands away before shifted the whole weight of board and items around until she had them balanced on her head and palms of her hands. “Get the hatch?” She moved off toward the spot Janey had pointed at when they had pulled up in the vehicle. The strength and balance in her wife was always a spark for Janey, specially when she flaunted it in such a matter-of-fact way. A small but very smug smile spread across the blonde’s face as she admired the view that was currently travelling down to the water’s edge of Trash Coast.

This small, very lethal woman that could have threatened her to silence when her flirts uncomfortably ruffled her or left her on Elpis as just another background character in her story; had decided to not only stay with the black marketeer but pull her from that constant reminder of old pains from before The Crackening.

Not missing a beat, Janey reached up and shoved the hatch closed. Still smugly grinning, she wriggled free of the ratty sneakers on her feet then jogged across the sand after Athena. Freed naked feet quickly getting used to the hot sands as she moved. She had changed into the ragged sneakers and some tattered shorts, customary midriff tank top and pink short jacket still gracing her shoulders. Despite the change of clothing, Janey had only been able to manage convincing her stoic lover of leaving the heavy armor, minus the shield, at home. Tying the laces together, she hung the sneakers over her shoulders as she caught up with the ex-assassin, “That’s real sexy,” a slight hiccup in momentum as Janey rotated to face backward beside Athena, “‘Thena.”

A small, deep grumble of a chuckle hitched from Athena’s throat, eyes cutting sideways to glance at her cheery wife, “You are biased. Never sure why, but you are.” Before Janey could reply back, a shout sounded off to their left and she stumbled, falling, arse creating a small splash of sand as it hit. That deep rumbling chuckle sounded again as Athena kept moving, balance never swaying. Laughing at her slip, Janey flicked a handful of sand after the moving warrior. Still grinning, the mechanic looked toward the shout and waved a greeting. Mordecai readjusted the sniper rifle resting on his shoulder with a roll of the joint as he waved back for the hands-full Brick beside him. The two men had gone off as soon as they had changed into swim shorts to find some beast, at the time an unsuspecting beast, to turn into food.  
  
Some unrecognized push, raised Janey up and jogging to catch up with Athena again. The two groups stopped as they meet in the middle, Janey being puppeted by that same unrecognized push to stand a bit in front of her gladiator wife. “Hey, Athena! Janey!” Brick’s voice boomed while Mordecai nodded greetings.

Grinning sideways, Janey tiled her head a bit while shielding her eyes from the glaring sun, “Hey! Catch somethin’ good? What we havin’?”

Brick bounced the beasts dangled across his shoulders momentarily, “Oh, yea! Some fat rakks. Think they might have been trying to start a new hive. Who knows. Quick kills, no pain. We makin’ rakk weenies tonight! Let’s get going. I’m starving!” Not waiting for the women to respond, the two moved off toward the gathering spot closer to the cove of Trash Coast.

Neither woman moved, Janey for some invisible weight and Athena because Janey was standing half in front of her, “Look at me, Springs.”

Janey’s shoulders rolled minutely and she glanced over her shoulder, face loose, “Wha?”

A small huff proceeded the gladiator’s words, nothing got Janey to focus on Athena’s words faster than her using their surname, “Everything is ok. They aren’t going to harm me. A lot has changed. Things are in the past. I’m safe, love.” As she had spoken, Janey had turned to face her. Athena’s face was partially covered from the items balanced along the top of her body. Only her lush, red lips and peaked chin visible as she had talked. Nothing was said for several moments. The blue-haired woman shifted her foot in the sand, “The reason you,” Athena was interrupted when Janey suddenly bent at the waist and kissed her. Kiss breaking, Janey watched her wife’s face soften to a minor version of the puppy look only she could invoke in the hardened woman, “I’d protect you till nothing stood if any thing or one so much as thought of growling at you. You know that.”

“Same. You know that,” a smile broke Janey’s somber face, “My dear lady.” A faux exasperated grunt rumbled from Athena as her face heated red and she rolled her eyes. Pet name still having an effect. It would probably have an effect until the end of days.


	2. Hardships of Changing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Change of lifestyle is always harder than change of clothes.

“You really do need to change out of that,” Lilith’s voice was low and matter-of-fact, a hand on her hip while the other gestured at Athena’s attire.

“Again, why? Not going in the water, no plans on playing games. There is no reason I can't sit in the clothes I have now. Not like I have a change anyway,” it had been 10 minutes of these two going back and forth. Tiny Tina was about to suffocate herself from snickering so much. Janey was standing slightly in front and to the side of Athena again, unintentionally being overprotective of her love was not going to calm just from one mention. Brick and Mordecai had ‘wondered’ off as soon as the first sentence had left Lilith's mouth. The others had yet to arrive.

Lilith sighed in frustration, hand waving again, “Fine. You’ll never get sand out of all those places.” The three women looked to Tina as she gasped in a loud breath of air before falling to her arse in the sand howling like an Alpha Skag.  
  
“What’s going on?” Angel had walked up, perfectly balanced in her stabilizer boots in the sand, with Gaige’s hand tangled in hers.

“‘Thena doesn’t want to change into swim clothes. Lilith won’t let it go,” Janey was quick on the draw.

“I have no plans on getting near the water. Anything could be in that water,” Athena was shaking her head. The woman had said the line again and it made Janey twist slightly at the waist to look at her.

Eyes twitching as she studied her blue-haired warrior, Janey turned suddenly and leaned to whisper in Athena’s ear, “What’s wrong?” Athena’s eyes cut sharply with the peeved tilt to her face. “Don’t give me that look. Tell me.” Being near each other for the few years had allowed the two to read almost every motion and between the lines about one another.

A few breaths were taken before Athena finally, eyes sweeping away in self-manifested shame, whispered against Janey’s cheek, “I can’t swim. I was never taught. I never learned.”

Surprised bloomed across the smaller woman’s face at the taller’s words, “That it? No one’ll make you go near the wata.” Athena made to interrupt but was interrupted herself, “Just because you change don’t mean ya go near the wata.” Janey straightened up and spoke the next where everyone could hear, giant cheeky grin on her face, “Lilith has a point ‘bout the sand. Don’t wanna be lickin’ that outta weird places,” no quarter was given from Janey’s wicked grin to Athena as her face flared bright, “You on the beach gives the best view of me out there surfin’, anyway.”

“You surf, Janey?” Maya’s voice was soft but caring as she walked up with Krieg and Salvador in tow.

“Use ta land surf before The Crackin’. Water surfin’ don’t look much diff,” a small shrug accompanied the blonde’s words.

The confident smirk that rode into battle with Maya graced her face, “Good. I’ll have someone to accompany me.” Krieg half muttered half shouted something about adding too much water to a poop train.

Before anything else could be said from the others, Tiny Tina blurted out, “If ya decide to, we can teach ya the doggie paddle, Athena!” Everyone turned to the sixteen year old sitting in the sand, feet rapidly waving, “What? Roland couldn’t swim. He told me and he never went near the water. Some sorta soldier shit. We live on Pandora, not Aquator, yo. Not gonna teach soldiers to swim if their ain’t no wata! Shit, sons, get wid the program!”

Lilith chuckled, “Good reading, Tina.”

“Still never been in swim clothes. Don’t even own any. Nothing to change into,” Janey could hear the exasperation in Athena’s voice. If things kept being pushed Athena was going to run her shield up someone’s spine.

Athena’s head jerked in surprise when she felt Angel’s fingers lace with hers suddenly, “You told me learning can be hard sometimes. And, what’s a little walking compared to all the things I’ve been through. What’s a little change in clothes compared to everything you’ve been through? I’m not getting in the water, either, so I’d need someone to protect me,” Janey was the only one to catch the small shift deep in Athena’s gaze as she stared at Angel, “And, it’s my first time in swim clothes, as well. You can help me not be alone with that too.”

A small huff of air eased from the ex-assassin, Janey knew it was a sound of defeat, “I said one good thing in my life and you’ll never let me attempt to forget it.”

Angel was grinning around a giggle as Janey spoke up, “Alls good? Angel takes you to change. Rest of us will get everythin’ else done.”

Softly tugging, Angel started leading them to change behind some boulders as Athena’s eyes cut to her wife, “I was wrong.” Janey’s eyebrows raised and the others braced for something negative or bracing to be said. Snatching their duffle bag from where it had been dropped in the sand, the small warrior boldly emphasized the next two words, “I DO believe I’ve said two good things in my life.” A cheesy grin quickly spread across the face of the junker.


	3. Beach Clothing Options

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When trying new things, just remember, that the outcome is sometimes drool inducing.

“LOOOOK! Look at these finer than fine ladies!” Tiny Tina barreled her way between Janey and Gaige. By this point everyone, the exception being Zero, had arrived and was in swim cloths of some kind. Janey had worn her swim trunks with the black and glowing purple Great Purple Geode Shark design and her horizontal striped bikini top under her other clothes. A simple set of shrugs and shimmies and she was out of the over layer. Gaige and several of the others had done similar. Maya had just pulled off her boots and pants with a grin. Krieg was the only one not to change into anything different. He had looked a bit put out until Brick had called him over to help with making the hunted rakks into food.

Fiona adjusted her gold and white bowler, Sasha and Rhys had given her a good natured hard time about matching the hat with her two-piece,“What?”

Tina jumped into a turnaround, sand flying around her feet, “Angel and Athena! They finer than fine. They make fine print look bold!” Janey took a swig from her drink and smiled around a chuckle. Gaige and Fiona joined in the laugh at the play on words. Suddenly, Fiona stopped laughing as her eyes widened. Her hand adjusted her bowler again, the sun reflecting off hat and bikini to trick the eye to seeing either blue and silver horizontal stripes or gold and white ones. Slowly the teeters came to a stop from Janey and Gaige, both glancing at each other before turning toward where the two mentioned woman had disappeared earlier. Janey’s liquor bottle dropped from her limp fingers to dent into the sand, liquid splashing out to drip drop along her shins. The redhead beside her brushed her arms and stomach off like she was brushing something off clothes that were not currently adorning her.

The two women were carefully making their way across the sand from the boulders they had changed behind. Naked legs slowly flexing in powerful slow pushes, bare feet firmly printing into the sand. Janey’s bottom half of the bikini top was tied at both sides of her wife’s hips, fabric pulled a little tighter to accommodate the slightly wider span. With no top and not using her sports bra, probably due to Angel coxing her into not doing so more than anything, Athena’s scarf had been double looped around the lower portion of her ribs to crisscross over her breasts into a crossed halter top. The pink and blue horizontal stripes of the bottom fit well with the scarfs black and white. Everything was topped with the blue-hair of the warrior pulled back into a tiny ponytail, strands being too short or having wiggled loose gently still framing her face. Athena had their duffel bag hooked on her fingers, container dangling over her shoulder; softly bumping against her rear. Janey’s eyebrows slowly rose as her eyes grew wider during her staring, mouth softly opening in a silent ‘Oh’.

Gaige was in a similar stunned state as her eyes absorbed every inch of her girlfriend. All parts of Angel’s stabilizer boots were gone except for the boots themselves, the other parts folded into the duffle bag. The black and white sculpted boots gave a very elegant look to her naked legs. A small black with gold and white feathery wings patterned sarong graced her hips, dangling gently further down one leg than the other. The wings pattern was reminiscent of the wings that sprouted when she was fully aglow with her siren powers. Small gold, white, and a bright blue - matching her eyes - flowers scattered beautifully across black bikini top and bottom. With every step the sarong would let a sliver of the patterned bottoms peek out.

Angel reached the two gapping women first and a tiny breathy, “Hey,” made Giage give a goofy halting chuckle. Before Gaige’s brain could function enough to say anything, Fiona was calling Angel over to her so she could see Angel’s first swimsuit better. Ever since Fiona was introduced to Angel, the con artist had treated the technological siren as if she was a second baby sister. Tiny Tina was bouncing on her feet, eyes flicking between the two, whispering in her best gangsta squeak, “Fine, fine, fine, ooohh extra chocolate drizzled on top finnnneeeeeee!” She’d been a bit ‘zingy’ since everyone started changing clothes. With everyone finally here and completely changed it seemed to be becoming far too much for her to handle. Then again, a quiet Tina was major worry for everyone.

“Where is the rest...nevermind I see it,” Athena was asking as she moved. Despite, the gladiator answering her own question, Janey pointed off vaguely in the direction of the piled supplies. A knowing chuckle followed the warrior’s small smug pull of lips and she trailed a tickling line across the bottom of Janey’s shoulder blades as she passed behind the mechanic, “You’re drooling, Springs.” Faint blush creeped down Athena’s neck to trickle down her shoulders and back at her boldness. Disregarding her brain telling her she was being teased and she wasn’t drooling, Janey wiped at her mouth as her skin danced in the shiver brought on by her love’s teasing fingertips. Nearly giving herself whiplash, the junker flicked her head to watch Athena strut toward the supplies pile. Her name may have been Springs, but she was definitely sprung.


	4. Rolling in the Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The most fun things can end in near fatal consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: nearly drowning/implied drowning

Bright, rich blue curled over drenched blonde locks. The roar from water and motion was a thrilling bombardment into battered ears. Scarred skin tingled from racing adrenaline and millions of little wet slaps. Purple and black swim trunks had gripped to flexed thighs and knees like a scared child. Only one feeling, Janey calculated, measured as good as racing along inside a tube and that other feeling was currently sitting anxiously on the beach silently waiting for the junker blow out the other side of the contorted water. A warbling holler pinballed after the scarred mechanic as Maya’s own giddy fueled adrenaline could no longer be contained. Rough board itched along Janey's bare, soaked sole as she pressed her foot a tad further out, bracing for the rapidly coming down exit. The Siren, that brought Handsome Jack down from on high, eased into alignment behind Janey. They were going to make this exit, but just by the skin of their teeth! Glittering white spray exploded around them as they tore through.

Janey was unwilling to let her burning rush just die there, tho. While Maya kept gliding down to make the beach, Janey whipped her board sharp toward the lip of the large wave curling aside the tube. Smacking the lip hard, she rocketed right through. Homemade board surfed along empty air for a time that felt like taffy on a slow pull. The sounds of Janey's triumphant feelings were swallowed greedily by the waters as the board’s nose started downward. Confidence gripped her tight then punched the impulse button savagely to switch feet moments before she bit through the lip. A ragged roar of elated joy leapt from between the black marketeer’s teeth as she pulled the trick off flawlessly. Pink fins of the board clawed through the waves body, angry white froth sprewing behind like blood from the jugular.

Her overzealous confidence hadn't accounted for Janey coming into the bottom so sharp. In a split second two things happened: ‘’Thena is gonna hate this!’ shot through her mind like a vehicle on nitrous and the nose of her board pierced the bottom curve of the wave. For the second time in mere moments the board surfed the open air. Tho this time it was doing so alone as Janey had been thrown by the wipe out. She tumbled through the air, somehow skidding a bit on the rolling water before being sucked down under. Breath struggled to escape as Pandora’s fluids covered cocooned around her. Blue tinted snatchs of sun ebbed and flowed as she tumbled underwater, rising and falling as the waters threw her like a child with a playing block. The shadow of the tossed around surfboard rippled across her vision for flashing milliseconds, teasing her with direction of the surface.

Janey had gone limp as she was thrown about under the surface, letting the water roll her til it had had its fill. Hope pleaded that it was soon because air was leaving the temple no matter what was good for it. Rocks, rough smoothness from years of being molded by seawater, scratched against her back and hips as the water shoved her down against the seabed. Wriggling like a sea critter and ignoring the small panicked swallowing of her throat, Janey rolled in the water to sink toes and fingers into sea floor. Slow motion scrambling pushed the blonde up the slowly sloping upward floor, that a brief squeak of fear hoped was toward the beach. Her pace was setting as the ocean grabbed her again and jerked her away. Bubbles quivering in escaping fear flushed from her mouth in a partially startled; partially frustrated; partially panicked strangle. Composure fled with the last particles of air. Fighting against the strong element was doing Janey no good but she was unable to resist the urge. Vibrant waters started to fade back and forth to silken blacks. Darkness smothered her senses as the waves flicked her to the shore. Air attacked the airways to her lungs, body unconsciously breathing in, as rushed movement sloshed the shallows around her curled back. Strong, flexing arms hooked under her knees and shoulder blades to move her out of the waters to dry sand.

As a sun cooked ear touched against her chest to listen for sounds of breathing, the mechanic’s self preservation took a note from her earlier confidence and slammed down full force on the ‘BREATH!’ lever. Lungs kicked into overdrive, inhaling air to fill those lungs to almost bursting; a small dose of adrenaline flooded into her veins to make her body tingle. Coughing, water sputtered from her quickly drying lips then her eyes scrunched as an agitated groan treked from her throat, body rolling to its side to assist any foreign water to exit. Janey’s senses were too preoccupied with flushing anything it deemed harmful from it’s core to notice the firm calloused hand roughly patting her back or the sounds of others. When she rolled suddenly back onto her back, Janey managed to catch the patting hand by surprised and trap it between her flesh and the sand. Senses finally felt the presence above. She opened her eyes to a figure shadowed by edges of golden sun. Janey knew that silhoutte and it made a silly grin spread on her lips. The shadowed blur swayed a bit and badly muffled sound trickled from above. No words were being said that she could understand but the tone was very obvious, further confirming who was above her.

The figure shifted, breaking up the shadow effect. Harsh sun revealed a very peeved looking Athena seconds before it stabbed into Janey’s pupils. A sharp hiss and the waterlogged blonde sat ramrod straight, nearly butting heads with the disgruntled gladiator. Janey had planned to say something but when her mouth opened nothing but the last of the invading water spewed out. Despite, obviously being highly irritated with Janey for the ballsy stunt, her love Athena was worried about her as she raised her hand to thump against Janey’s back. Once the coughing had subsided Janey rasped out a few words, “Hoped that looked good from here! Least up to the end.”

“You hit your head, Springs?” Athena’s words scratched harsh against Janey’s back, much like the rocks earlier. Groaning, Janey squinted and shifted her eyes as she opened her mouth to speak. The blonde was silenced when her blue-haired wife firmly but gently cupped her cheek and moved her face with tension tight fingers. Face tight in focused worry, the ex-assassin checked the junker’s eyes for blow pupils. Whatever snippy retort the mechanic had been about to fire, fizzled out with the realization Athena had pretty much sank into full combat medic and had asked in a flat concern. Athena was not even anything resembling a medic but given a few years where she had to completely take care of herself off the grid and she had picked up basics enough to handle common things like concussions.  
A small warm smile preluded soft speech, “Good, darl?” Athena replied with a quiet rumbling hiss and deeper frown. Janey’s skin prickled when Maya’s cold, wet fingers suddenly touched against her spin. Faint blue started up from the siren’s fingers to her shoulder and upper chest, powers working alongside her field medical knowledge. The Order of the Impending Storm did a lot of things wrong when raising the woman but they did give her some fairly solid diversity of training for her siren powers.

“Good,” Athena’s tone was clipped, teeth clenching between sentences. She ignored the concerned look Angel flashed in her direction.

There was an itching silence for several moments before a jittering Tina couldn't help herself any longer, “That was rather wicked, Lady Junker,” her speech pattern had flipped to regal tea parties, “I say, quite a good show. A rather ryling story for our next gentel get together, yes.”

Janey slow broke eye contact with the stewing icey eyes and smiled at Tiny Tina, accent shifting a bit to align with Tina’s victorian one, “Good till the end at least. Rather never repeat that last part, old girl, yes quite.”

Maya pressed her fingers against a point on Janey’s spine, when she didn’t react the siren nodded, “She’s fine. Maybe next time you do something for the first time follow the more experienced companion, hmm?” Standing, Maya patted the junker on the shoulder then headed back to where she had thrown her board in the sand. There was a general murmur among the others of gladness Janey was ok, Timothy patted her on the back with a warm smile, as they all moved off. Janey watched them go for a few moments, mind prepping for the still silent Athena and smiling at the jittered response from Timothy when Tiny Tina ran up and slapped him on the back yelling about a volleyball game.  
Taking a deep breath that felt like the best thing ever, Janey finally turned back to the silent warrior, “Hey, hun, alls good?” The blue-haired woman didn’t say anything but Janey noticed the flexing of muscle along the curve of her jaw. Athena’s face was set in a stoic shield but her eyes, what the mechanic’s own eyes were currently locked with, screamed the dance of thoughts and emotions in her head.

Athena’s voice was flat, “You scared the fuck outta me.”

“I’m soz. Not on purpose, I swears,” the junker’s eyes flicked down when a strong flash of emotion brightened Athena’s eyes, “Did you get in the wata?”

The shorter woman’s eyes flicked down to her wet bottom half, “I caught sight of you first. I...I had to get you. Fe,” Athena’s voice hitched at the word. Her eyes dropped focus to the sand as she tried the word again, “Fear of you hurt trumps any silly fear of water.” Janey’s insides melted. Warmth chased away the chilling effects of drying water and lingering clutches of drowning. This still learning, little battered woman was unintentionally the sweetest and most protective being in those whole back water system. Calling her on it was just going to make her go bright red and deny it with tooth and shield. So, Janey just opted to kiss her hard with a slight pressure from proud.


	5. The Night's Aglow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bright night on the beach with the Borderlands gang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter would still be complete garbage if not for seeing some Janey fanart from Zorpederpedoooon (http://zorpederpedooon.tumblr.com/post/141097881284/zorpederpedooon-chill-janey-c). I love their art and am very happy they let me base a chapter around one of their pictures.

Things had slowed down quite a bit after Janey nearly drowning. The volleyball that Tiny Tina had shouted in ‘suggestion’ was a good distraction that allowed Maya to keep an eye on Janey. Athena was silently refusing to leave her side. Nothing was going to get her off the log shaped old wreckage piece the group had found near first arriving. If asked, which she was several times, to join in, Athena would just silently shake her head. Sun slowly easing down to set, Athena finally got up as she nudged Janey in a questioning gesture. It took a moment for Janey to register but, she finally slide her gaze from blushing horizon waters to look up at her wife. A lazy, little smile had graced her face, “Hm?”  
  
Athena made a motion toward her mouth then muttered, “Food?” Janey’s little smile filled to a full one and she licked her lips. A small amused huff accompanied the smile that blinked in and out of existence on the shorter woman’s face. Moving off, Athena went to fetch some of the rakk from the cooking pit. Unabashedly staring, Janey’s mouth watered for more than one reason as she watched the muscles flex along Athena’s back and thighs when she knelt near the softly glowing pit. It took several moments after Athena had settled in the sand, her arm touching along Janey’s outstretched scarred leg, and having handed up the food before she finally noticed that she was being stared at, “What?”  
  
No response was given from the taller woman except to pop some food into her mouth, lean forward, and kiss it past the blue-haired woman’s lips. The briefest of surprised moments flittered by before Athena leaned into the kiss, teeth nipping at a grinning lower lip. Sharing small grins, the kiss broke and both women sat more comfortable than previous as they watched the sun slowly creep further and further downward. As the volleyball game come to an end, Krieg leapt off the boulder he was perched on yelling about flames for the wicked. Landing several feet away from the cooking pit, the large man scampered and dug until there was a sizable hole in the sand. Coming up beside, Maya patted him on the part of his torso she could reach and smiled a ‘thank you’ up at him. As several others chattered during gathering wood, Janey wriggled up from her sitting spot to dig through the pile of items to find an echolele.  
  
Absentmindedly, the junker moved slowly back to her spot beside Athena. Her naked heels made a thick, dull thud as they hit metal. “I thought you couldn’t get that to work?” Athena questioned through a chewing mouth.  
  
A non-commental ‘hmm’ escaped the blonde and her words were slow as she stared at the offending instrument, “Yea...I thought,” she turned over the instrument twice, then jarred it minutely, “if I brought it with…” Voice trailing off, Janey squinted a silent threat at it before thunking the end into the sand. The echolele strings blinked into existence. Lilith’s siren markings blazed bright as she lit the wood inside the newly constructed fire pit. The vibrant red danced pleasantly with the faint blue from the echolele strings, washing Janey's hands in purple. Janey’s fingers deftly picked over the sound hole as her other hand fiddled with the tuning heads. Finally, the sun sank below the horizon. Its tendrils of light still blushing over the shimmering horizon as if attempting to listen to the slowly growing tune Janey was playing. Face relaxed, Janey shifted from a tuneless plucking into a song from when she was little.  
  
There was a moment of quiet as everything seemed to still in a breath to synch with the calming melody. That moment of every being humming in a cooling, quiet tone of harmony. One intake of life that marks as a glowing point of content happiness. All sound and movement seemed to rush back in one moment. A satisfied holler from both Gaige and Krieg startled a scowl out of Athena and a snort from Angel to cover her jump at the sudden loud.  
  
During the minor commotion eyes had lost track of Tiny Tina. Athena glanced around, sharp blues analyzing everything, “Where is…” As her words drawled from her mouth Tiny Tina, having tied a extra large towel around her neck like a cape, bounded up from the sand to the metal salvage seat to vault over the small gladiator’s head. A yell of wild abandon from the small explosives expert as she soared through the air jarred Janey into a sour note and shoved a truly startled Athena up and into a combat-ready stance. The towel came loose from it’s shotty tie and fluttered down to cover the softly swaying and scowling woman below.  
  
Tiny Tina landed into a roll then popped up with hands firm on hips, “HA! HA! STORY TIME!” A low, angry growl starting to emit from the towel covered gladiator caused a worried distort to several people’s faces. Hand reaching up, the towel was snatched from Athena’s head and she glared hard enough to make a bullymong cower. Breathing deep, Athena’s mouth opened in a snarl but before any sound could escape a slowly building laugh interrupted her. Having gotten over the initial fright, Janey had seen the sight of her wife, in deadly battle stance with a towel covering her as if she was some old woman’s love seat, as too much to handle and been overtaken with a hearty fit of laughter.  
  
The blonde was full belly laughing now to the point tears were blinding her. Mouth clicking shut, Athena gave a disgruntled eye roll as she shot the incapacitated woman behind her a frustrated look. Softer chuckles started up in the others. Stepping forward, Angel gently took the towel from Athena’s grasp to drape it lightly over the woman’s shoulders. Soft smile gracing her face, the siren gave a just as soft hug to the bristley woman, completely ignoring the briefest of seconds of stiffened shoulders. Fists unclenching from startled anger, they balled into the edges of the towel, pulling it to completely cover the small warrior’s torso. Janey pulled in gasps of air around stuttering snorts of laughter as Athena’s temper cooled to a stop. A satisfied, cheeky smile peeked out on the gladiator’s lips when Janey managed to unbalance herself in her fit and fall from her seat flat to her back in the sand.  
  
Angel let out a soft chuckle of her own before moving away to settle gracefully in the sand beside Gaige. Both settling content by the fire, Gaige hooking her flesh arm around her girlfriend’s thin shoulders, cuddling her close. Athena moved off to peer down at Janey. Snaking out of its cover, a well muscled arm pulled the slowly chortling junker back upward. Scarred and oil stained arms and hands curled around the smaller woman’s waist to tug her closer, “Guess, I’m goin’ to be the one that has sand in weird places. Goin’ to be pullin’ sand from my back scars until I’m grey.”  
  
Muttering a quiet, “What you get for laughing at me,” Athena wrapped the towel around her wife to cover her deft fingers gently brushing and probing at the sand covered scars. A hard shiver rippled along the blonde’s skin, small hairs standing on end at the tickling sensation, “I’ll help you later. To make sure.” Soft scratching along her spine sent another wave of tingling along Janey’s skin before Athena untangled herself to flop to the ground as graceless as an ex-assassin could manage. Abs flexing, the mechanic balanced her weight to teeter back and grab ahold of the echolele. She missed the appreciative glance her blue-haired wife snuck.  
  
Hoisting the instrument one-handed above her head, Janey slid down into the sand beside Athena. Janey checked the tuning of the echolele before starting the melody again. The others gathered closer to the fire as Tiny Tina zipped around ramping up toward her story telling. Flickering red heat washed over them and funny shadows danced between the gaps of their bodies. Janey and Athena were comfortable along the edges of the heat and light, the two elements swaying the gentlest against their skins.  
  
Strumming through several verses, Janey was able to align her gentle play to accompany the epic tale that Tiny Tina was jumping all around the fire telling. Slowly the sway of music and rumble of Tina’s voice soothed Athena into a relaxed comfort and her head drooped until it settled against Janey’s shoulder. A small smile spread onto the blonde’s lips like warmed butter. Fingers never missing a note, Janey tilted her head at the neck to nuzzle against the blue locks of her wife. Content moans meandered from Athena’s throat and her body sank further into a comfortable limp state.  
  
A ease in story pace gave a still slightly concerned Maya a moment to glance back at the two women. To absorbed in their personal quiet moment, Janey didn’t notice the siren staring. Several moments skipped by before Maya turned back toward the fire and got to her feet and went to settle against a rather quiet Krieg. The large man was far too enraptured by Tiny Tina’s story. One at a time in a trickle of movement the others got up and shifted around until they were all resting comfortable in a row against each other. A wicked grin spread across the energetic explosive expert’s face as she used the crackling fire to her advantage. Growling and hollering like a wounded beast, Tina used the flickering light to make herself appear bigger to tie into the monster of the tale.  
  
The sudden roar of sound earned an unseen glare and low groan from Athena, eyes having opened to slits. A small chuckle left Janey as she gently shook her head, kissing the top of Athena’s. Ice surrounded pupils focused suddenly, seeing past the dancing fire. There was something, glowing a blushing neon purple, further out in the water. That something was moving, the purple swaying and dipping gently. Slowly, Athena raised her head. Janey watched her sit stone still for several moments before the smaller woman started to raise, face still trained into the direction of the sea. Blindly, Athena pulled the large towel up with her as she moved, wrapping it around her shoulders. Following the movement of the gladiator, the mechanic finally shifted her face forward to focus in the direction her wife was steadily looking.  
  
Fingers still not missing a note, the blonde rose to her feet to follow as Athena moved away from their spot. Passing behind the still unaware Tiny Tina, the two women moved closer to the water’s edge. Finally, Janey stopped playing as they both reached the ever shifted border of land and water. With the music suddenly stopped, the others began glancing around as they were pulled from the story.  
  
Quietly, the whole group lined up at the shore’s edge. Only the sounds of the moving world filling their ears as they all stared. The purple was in a large triangular shaped line and was flailing around in rapid flicks and directions. A shiver ran up Athena’s spine, prompting a silent Janey to pull her under her arm. Long fingers deftly twirling the echolele by the head to prop on her shoulder. Warm silence overtook the group again. Moments ebbed by before a quiet mutter fluttered from Lilith, “What the hell is that?”  
  
An answer to her question came when the dancing purple triangle made a great circle once and then leapt into the air. It was chasing some solid-black-in-the-dark sea creature. Sea creature after sea creature. A great shark, mouth agap, flushed the night with an eerie beautiful neon purple glow. Bioluminescence glittering against its dark grey opaque rough skin. Janey’s eyes grew wide in disbelief and excitement as her hand tightened around Athena’s shoulders, tucking her closer against her side. “That’s a Great Purple Geode Shark! Those colourin’s are only supposed to be native to Elpis! She’s a beaut!”  
  
Angel’s eyes were just as big in awe, “Actually, the neon colouration sharks are only found on Elpis. Data shows no others exist naturally outside of your home. Even, on Aquator, which has the largest species diversity of sea life.” A silly, crooked grin accompanied the guffaw the junker let out. Everyone stood in the ocean’s silence as they watched the great shark splash back in the water, having missed its prey. Large purple dorsal fin thrashing around in the water again, the humans on the beach gazed at the giant creature’s following attempts.  
  
Shuffling even closer before tugging the towel tighter around her torso, Athena huffed in mild annoyance, “I think Hammerlock has been smuggling creatures around again.” She was silent as the great beast leapt to sail through the air. Massive jaws snapped tight around the prey. Gaige quickly averted Angel’s eyes. “See. I told you. Anything could be in that water.”


End file.
